This $3.4M Santa Monica home blends Craftsman and modern
A $3.4 million Santa Monica compound on a hidden Ocean Park walk street pairs a 1906 Craftsman bungalow with a two-story guest retreat by the late Lorcan O'Herlihy. Owners Jason La Padura and Gary Murphy enlisted him to renovate the main house—making this million Santa Monica listing a rare blend of historic charm and contemporary architecture.
Key Takeaways
- The gated Copeland Court property is listed for $3.4 million with Compass agents Mike Deasy and Sara Clephane.
- O'Herlihy renovated the rear of the 1906 main house and designed a 2004 guest house as a private retreat.
- Original Craftsman rooms at the front remain intact, while updated kitchen, family room, and primary suite open to a deck and garden courtyard.
- La Padura and Murphy are selling after roughly 35 years in the home, five of them as renters before they bought.
- The couple met O'Herlihy in the late 1990s at a party at an early Frank Gehry house in Venice, then hired him as his firm was taking off.
Why does this million Santa Monica listing stand out?
Hidden along a quiet walk street in Ocean Park, the property brings together two eras under one gate. A one-story California Craftsman estimated to date from 1906 sits beside a sharply modern guest quarters completed in 2004. For buyers browsing luxury real estate and dream homes, the contrast is the draw: preserved bungalow character up front, architect-led modernism in back.
That dual identity is increasingly rare in Santa Monica, where teardowns and full rebuilds often erase original fabric. Here, the sellers chose renovation and addition instead.
What did Lorcan O'Herlihy change on the property?
According to Robb Report, the owners asked O'Herlihy to expand the rear of the main residence while keeping Craftsman details in the living room, dining room, and study at the front of the house. He reworked the kitchen, family room, and primary bedroom so they spill onto a broad deck.
Those updated rooms feature contemporary finishes, including dark-wood cabinetry that transitions into open built-in shelving and a light-filled primary suite with a sleek bathroom. The deck acts almost like an extra room, stepping down toward a central courtyard shaded by a giant California sycamore and a mature Valencia orange tree.
How is the modern guest house designed?
O'Herlihy also built a private two-story retreat wrapped in black cement board—a compact cube set apart from the bungalow's warmth. The first floor holds a parlor, kitchen, and bath; upstairs, a loft-style bedroom and study opens to a private balcony.
The guest quarters mirror the main house's casual dining setup and function as a self-contained escape for visitors, echoing the owners' original brief for a dedicated retreat on the lot.
Who is selling the Santa Monica Craftsman compound?
The sellers are Emmy-nominated casting director Jason La Padura and performing-arts communications executive Gary Murphy. They are parting with the home after about 35 years, including five years as renters before purchasing the spread.
Their connection to O'Herlihy began by chance at a late-1990s gathering hosted by Murphy's brother-in-law at an early Frank Gehry residence in Venice. O'Herlihy had recently launched his firm; the collaboration that followed shaped one of Santa Monica's more distinctive small compounds—and now puts it on the market at $3.4 million.